Censored journalists find writing opportunities through Minecraft

Censorship is a hot topic in the world of journalism, and it’s played a major role regarding public news delivery. Deciding whether or not a story line is appropriate for the audience can cause it to be overlooked and affect it’s publicity.

News spreads like a wild fire with modern-day technology, as the demand for information is more powerful than ever. While the Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, both controversy and privacy can have major impacts on the outcome of a story.

Finding alternative routes to publishing can be extremely difficult for those who have been silenced.

In 2009, Markus Persson released an online game that would later change the gaming community forever: Minecraft. Today, the video game is well known for it’s limitless building and opportunities. It’s simplicity has developed a wide audience over the years, averaging 180 million sold copies.

The endless possibilities have contributed to impressive designs. A creation made by Blockworks and Reporters Without Borders, called the Uncensored Library, appeals to the aspiring writers who have been turned down.

This virtual library is filled with banned media from all over, and currently holds more than 200 books. It houses press freedom information in all 180 countries, and even ranks them based on censorship.

The Uncensored Library opened to the public on March 12, 2020 in celebration of “World Day Against Cyber Censorship.” Readers are welcome to read about their own country’s censorship through the server, however it is only available to PC or Mac users.

The map gained 23,000 downloads within its first week, and as time goes on, those numbers continue to rise. While it certainly isn’t a traditional way of getting information across, Minecraft is an incredibly popular platform and has proved itself worthy.